


A Kind of Distraction

by consultingoncer



Category: Carmen Sandiego (Cartoon 2019)
Genre: Dancing, F/F, Falling In Love, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Hurt/Comfort, Slow Dancing, crime wives, im soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-16 00:42:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28822416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/consultingoncer/pseuds/consultingoncer
Summary: Cleo just eyed her and said nothing. “Countess?” Bellum asked, raising an eyebrow. “You didn’t answer my question.”“Who says I’m not here with anyone? I’m here with you, aren’t I?”
Relationships: Dr. Saira Bellum/Countess Cleo (Carmen Sandiego)
Comments: 54
Kudos: 141





	1. An Unexpected Encounter

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I'm new to writing fic so please be kind :) I'm always happy to get new suggestions or corrections. 
> 
> I fell in love with this ship throughout the show and wanted to contribute something to our small community of cleobellum fans. This particular piece is spoiler free for season four, so no worries if you haven't finished it yet. 
> 
> Lastly, this piece was inspired by @riodrawsstuff's lovely artwork on tumblr and @cosmicaces's piece "The Ballroom Dilemma" here on Ao3 and posted with permission. Go check out their work if you haven't! Its absolutely gorgeous!!

The chandeliers glittered overhead, each one glowing brighter than the last. The room dripped in glamor and gold with towering mirrors reflecting the shine of the chandeliers. Among the trickle of guests, walking slowly arm-in-arm, was a scientist busily weaving her way through the crowd. Dr. Bellum paid no notice to the guests she bumped into as she hurried down the hallway. 

She arrived at the top of the staircase leading into the ballroom and surveyed the crowd. The guests milled around, an endless current of the elite mingling, moving passively from one person to another, swapping empty champagne glasses for filled ones in the process. From her viewpoint, it was impossible to make out who was who. 

Her hands adjusted her tie and straightened the lapels of her coat before facing the crowd that greeted her at the bottom of the stairs. It wasn’t that Dr. Bellum disliked people. Their ideas, their endless creations fascinated her. And if there weren’t people, there wouldn’t be anything to steal. But crowds...crowds were different. She could appreciate the feeling of anonymity they gave, swallowing her up amongst the plastic smiling faces of the elite. But as she began winding through the crowd, the pressed-suits and velvety dresses rubbed up against her arms. Her skin touched lace, velvet, fur, corduroy, silk, each additional texture setting her more and more on edge. It was like her experiments: she accidentally opened too many programs and no matter how many times she tried to restart, her computer remained frozen. 

She vaguely heard someone calling her name. Taking in a deep breath to steady herself, she turned around towards the voice and ran straight into Countess Cleo. 

“Cleo? What are you doing here?” Dr. Bellum asked, shaking her head as she tried to clear her thoughts. 

“Here, take this” Cleo reached out and placed her glass of champagne into Dr. Bellum’s hand with a strange look on her face. If she didn’t know any better, Bellum would even say Cleo look worried.

“You look like you need it more than I do,” Cleo said, before placing her hand on the other woman’s back and leading her to the side of the room. Dr. Bellum took another deep breath in and let herself be led away. 

The cold of the glass in her hand and the feel of Cleo’s hand on her back grounded her as her breath evened out. When they reached the side of the room, Bellum leaned against the wallpaper and fully took in what the other woman was wearing. Cleo was donned in a stunning deep blue dress, clinging to her shoulders and flaring out at the waist. She looked perfectly in her element and was more stunning than any other guest at the event. Her signature eyeliner made her eyes glitter dangerously as Cleo stared down anyone that dared to approach the two of them while waiting for Dr. Bellum to say something. 

Bellum took a sip of her drink before looking up questioningly at the other women. She and Cleo have known each other for years, and Cleo was accustomed to reading her often racing mind. 

Cleo just looked back down at her with a wry smile. “I’d like to have one of the members of our esteemed faculty maintain her threatening reputation,” she said, answering Dr. Bellum’s unvoiced question.

Bellum dipped her head in silent thanks. She wondered who Cleo came to these events with. It was unlike her to be here without a potential suitor. She usually found some young man to prey on, who would discover that his bank, business, or art gallery was mysteriously robbed by the end of the evening. “What are you doing here?” Bellum asked instead. 

“Why wouldn’t I be here? Another opportunity to wear my finest silk dress was just too great to pass up.”

Dr. Bellum just smirked. “We both know that you gave up on coming solo to these events a long time ago. If you don’t host or bring along your target, you never properly enjoy these things. _Always_ complaining about the hors d’oeuvres, the drinks, the crowd, the men.”

Cleo just eyed her and said nothing. “Countess?” Bellum asked, raising an eyebrow. “You didn’t answer my question.”

“Who says I’m not here with anyone? I’m here with you, aren’t I?”

At this, Dr. Bellum’s face flushed slightly. She distracted herself by swirling her champagne in her glass and listening to the quiet pop of rising bubbles before looking back up.

“I would hope I make better company than the cookie-cutter men you find, with each one more average-looking than the last. Not one has proven themselves deserving of a countess.”

In response, Cleo met her eyes briefly before looking away again. 

“Dr. Bellum, why are you here? I’ve never seen you in a tux before.” Cleo said, changing the conversation. “I wasn’t even sure you owned something other than those lab coats of yours.”

“If you must know, I’m here to steal a watch.” 

At this, Cleo’s eyes widened in surprise. “A watch?” she asked in disbelief, “why would you need to _steal_ a watch?” 

Dr. Bellum raised her chin defensively. “I’m here to steal it _back_. Have you heard of Franklin Esvanir?”

“That lunatic that sent the car into space?”

“The very one. I knew him back from my university days.” Dr. Bellum scowled. “He was always talented with the more code-oriented side of robotics. You know I prefer hardware and tinkering in my workshop.”

“But what’s so special about the watch?”

“It’s not about the watch. It’s about what the watch contains. Two of our agents discovered that the microchip containing the particular camouflage code I developed was taken by Esvanir. Rumor is, he keeps it under the face of the watch.

“I always thought the code was lost in the university fire, along with everything else.” Cleo saw something dark flash over her face before Dr. Bellum continued. “It was my best work. But I gave up reproducing the exact product years ago, moving on to other projects.”

“I still don’t understand. We have minions, agents, anyone to take out a target. Why are you here?”

“My dear Countess, you already know the answer to your question. It’s why you attend these events. “ Bellum smirked. “To witness their demise first-hand.”

“But,” Bellum realized. “You have no such target tonight. So why are you here?” she asked, a curious lilt to her voice as she stepped closer to Cleo. “Pray tell, Countess. What are you running away from? Or rather, running away to?

Cleo tensed. “I don’t see the need to tell you.” 

“Very well.” Dr. Bellum suddenly took a step back. “If my company is not wanted, I’ll leave you to enjoy your evening.”

Cleo felt the absence of the other’s presence immediately. She felt like she could finally breathe, yet she didn’t want to, and found herself missing the smell of Dr. Bellum’s cologne instantly. The space between the two of them suddenly left Cleo feeling strangely vulnerable. She couldn’t remember the last time she felt this way. “Saira,” she said, before the other women could leave. “I’d like to propose a deal.”


	2. Moonlight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second update is here! This chapter is slightly shorter, as I'm spending more time getting the next one out. There's a lot that's going to happen ;)
> 
> I'm guessing the story will be five parts long, but that may change as I continue working.

At the use of her name, Dr. Bellum stilled. She turned back towards Cleo with a smile. 

“A deal? Now that I can work with.”

“I help you kill Esvanir,” Cleo trailed off before continuing. “Then you’ll owe me a dance.”

As Dr. Bellum took in her words, she realized something she had been overlooking for a long time now. Cleo was lonely. The rest of the faculty… they were different. Maelstrom lacked any measure of empathy, making anyone’s company a hindrance to the silence he preferred. Brunt, well, she had her friends. Though they were rather loud for Dr. Bellum’s taste. But now that she thought about it, she couldn’t remember Cleo properly talking to anyone, save Bellum herself, for the longest time. 

Even with their equal vote, Maelstrom had taken control over the capers. Meaning that Cleo… well she had no direction anymore. She wasn’t able to plan the capers she wanted. And since her Vermeer’s had been lost two weeks ago, the countess’s bitter mood in faculty meetings hadn’t improved. 

Bellum thought about that one night, nearly two weeks ago, soon after Cleo lost the paintings to Black Sheep.

_It was during their faculty meeting. She spent most of it pretending to finish up her calculations, multiple monitors set up in front of her, but half of them actually contained cat videos. Maelstrom couldn’t hold her attention for long, always droning on and on about the psychological tests he conducted and “oh isn’t Paper Star just a fascinating agent.”_

_Suddenly, Cleo stood up, pushing back her chair and leaving the room, cutting Maelstrom off mid-sentence. Bellum jerked her head away from her monitor at the sudden sound. The countess’s heels clicked on the floor and echoed in the vast room as Cleo curtly walked out, her trademark dress trailing the floor._

_Coach Brunt and Maelstrom were shocked into a bewildered silence and Shadowsan barely spared Cleo a glance._

_“She does realize we’re in a meeting?” Maelstrom asked._

_In all the years she’s known her, Cleo had never walked out on the faculty. Bellum hastily packed up her monitors. Shoving the last one onto the cart, she paused for a moment. “Meeting dismissed, “ she stated, before rushing out of the room and leaving three mystified faculty members behind._

_Bellum made her way down the hall onto the balcony. It was the only possible place Cleo could be if she wanted to be away from the students’ prying tendencies._

_But now that she was here, Dr. Bellum lingered in the doorway. The countess rested her hands on the railing, her extravagant dress emphasizing the droop in her shoulders. She was bathed in the soft glow of the moonlight, with the warm undertones of her dark skin making her look like she was glowing. She looked … beautiful, and Bellum was hesitant to disturb her, not knowing if her company was welcome or not. Nevertheless, she couldn’t leave the woman like this. Their faculty would suffer if they lost one of their members._

_“Countess Cleo?” Bellum called out, approaching her._

_The other woman whipped around. “Sa-Dr. Bellum?” she asked._

_Caught off guard, Dr. Bellum found herself saying “Saira is fine.” No one ever called her by her first name._

_The countess turned back to the railing, accepting the other’s presence and peering at the sky. “All of these operatives… and we lose to one rogue agent and her two goons.”_

_The two stood in silence for a bit, Cleo gazing at the stars and Bellum gazing at Cleo._

_“Out of all things she had to steal away, it was the Vermeer’s,” Cleo finally said. “But it doesn’t matter anymore.”_

_Bellum was trying to figure out the woman beside her. “Which one are you thinking about?” Bellum settled on asking, attempting to catch Cleo’s eyes._

_Her question gave Cleo pause. “The Astronomer” Cleo answered, looking anywhere but at her. “It was supposed to be a gift.”_

_It wasn’t until Dr. Bellum was lying in her bed at night, tossing from one side to another, that she realized Cleo intended to get the Astronomer for_ her. _She didn’t sleep for the rest of the night._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please be patient with me as I have a lot going on right now :) I'll post the next chapter as soon as I can!


	3. The Deal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! I forgot to include this in the notes last time, but if you want to read more about the Astronomer, here’s a link. I guess you could say that Cleo saw some familiarities between the painting and her dear Saira. 
> 
> Also, I’m so excited to read all your comments and the response that this little fic has received so far. I’m glad there are some other cleobellum fans out here :) if you ever want to chat with me, feel free to reach out to my tumblr @simpingsapphic.

Standing across the other woman, Bellum smiled. “I accept your deal”

Returning to her previous place at the wall, Bellum stepped closer to Cleo, fully aware that they were only a mere foot apart. She couldn’t help but look up at the soft shadows falling across Cleo’s face as it transformed back into something more collected, losing its momentary vulnerability. Continuing in a low voice, Bellum began describing her plan. 

“You see this ring?” Dr. Bellum motioned to her left hand. On it, a black band with a flat metal circle inscribed in the center sat on her ring finger. 

“In the center, there are three nanorobots, each equipped with their own drug to inject. The first one sedates him with sodium thiopental. Then, pancuronium bromide will paralyze his muscles and stop his breath, making him aware of his impending death. The last nanorobot will then inject him with potassium chloride, stopping the heart.”

“These robots are virtually undetectable and will desert as soon they administer the injection. They’re programmed to kill him and only him and have been imprinted with his specific heat signature. The trick, however, is to directly touch him, upon which the ring will recognize him and open, and the three robots will begin seeking him out.

Bellum twisted the ring off, reaching out for Cleo’s hand and slipping it on her finger. 

“That’s where you will come in.” Bellum returned to her train of thought. “If I approach him alone, anything more than mere friendliness will make him suspicious. Instead, we will come up to him together. You’ll shake his hand, maintaining a grip long enough to allow the robots to leave the ring and administer the first injection. 

Bellum quirked her mouth. “You’ve always had a penchant for stealing expensive wrist-wear, my dear Countess. When he begins to feel unsteady, we’ll reach out to help him stay on his feet. That should give you the chance to slip the watch off of his wrist.”

“Once we’ve confirmed that the first injection is administered, we’ll call over the group he came here with and inform them that he’s too tipsy to stay. Once he arrives home, the remaining two nanorobots will inject him at the appropriate times. But during the drive, his crowd won’t worry. He’s always been a lightweight.” 

As Bellum talked, Cleo unconsciously leaned further in, captivated by the scheme. “Stealing expensive jewelry and getting rid of one of your enemies in the process? Now you’re speaking my language Saira.”

She grinned wickedly. “Let’s go find our target.”

~~~

They weaved their way through the thick current of guests, Bellum darting through expertly once she spotted Esvanir. Suddenly worried that she lost Cleo, Bellum looked back to make sure the countess was right behind her. She reached out and entangled her fingers with Cleo’s before turning around and continuing to push her way through. 

Bellum kept her eyes focused on the flashes of Esvanir’s white suit she saw through the crowd. They were close now. She heard his slightly-raspy voice filter through the sounds of the guests and lively conversation. 

“If you don’t mind,” Dr. Bellum huffed at two tall tuxedos blocking her way, who moved aside to reveal a man she hadn’t seen for years.

“Esvanir,” Bellum plastered a smile on. “It has been a while.”

Recognizing Bellum’s voice, Esvanir waved away the two women he was talking to. As he turned around to face them, Cleo eyed his ill-fitted white suit and gaudy yellow shirt with distaste, her eyes lingering on his surprisingly elegant cufflinks in the shape of small rockets. 

“Dr. Bellum,” he said. “How lovely to see you.”

“Hm yes,” she replied. “After all these years. May I introduce my dear Countess Cleo.”

“Countess Cleo, it’s entirely my pleasure.” Esvanir’s eyes raked over Cleo’s body as he extended a hand. Bellum glanced at Cleo, feeling the other woman tense beside her. 

“Quite,” Cleo said, allowing him to take her hand. “Although,” she placed her other hand overtop and clasped his hand in hers, “Everything Saira has told me about you indicates that the pleasure should be mine.”

“Oh?” Esvanir raised his eyebrows. “And what has _Saira_ told you?”

Bellum eyed Esvanir’s hands, still clasped in Cleo’s. Noticing the slot on the ring closing up, she cleared her throat subtly for Cleo to hear. Bellum watched Cleo pull back her hands as she responded.

“Cleo exaggerates. I simply remarked that you were one of the top students in our class, and certainly a favorite of Professor Page.”

“Maybe so. But somehow academically I could never catch up to you.” Esvanir snapped at the nearby waiter, swapping out his champagne glass. He took a drink before continuing. 

“I remember you pulling the oddest working hours. Sleeping through the day, working through the night. We all had bets you know, trying to see how long you could stay in your laboratory before falling asleep,” he smirked. 

“Better work all night than-'' Bellum began, stopping when she saw Esvanir’s eyes go slightly out of focus. The two stepped closer to him, keeping him upright as he swayed on the spot. 

“Now,” Bellum chided, “I think you’ve had a little too much to drink tonight.”

“Let us go find your crowd,” Cleo said, curling her lip as Esvanir leaned his entire weight on her, reluctantly pulling his arm around her shoulder to better support him. 

“To the left,” Bellum gestured with her head, noticing Cleo looking around for the two women Esvanir had been talking to previously. The two muttered excuses to disgruntled guests as they pushed through the crowd, heading towards a corner chair near his group of brown-nosers.

After settling Esvanir down, Bellum extricated herself under his heavy arm. Glancing at Cleo to signal that she was to stay with him, Bellum headed over to the two women. Cleo watched Bellum begin to explain the situation, amused at her expressive hand gestures, before turning her attention to Esvanir. 

As she adjusted his sleeves, making sure to pull the cuffs over his naked wrist, she saw a glimmer. “My, what do we have here?” she murmured to herself. 

Mere minutes later, Bellum returned with the two women in tow. 

“He’s all yours ladies. Never could hold his alcohol."

“Now,” Cleo turned to Bellum, offering her arm. “How do you feel about some fresh air?”


	4. Better than a Vermeer

“This way,” Cleo pulled her towards the side of the room. Bellum looked around, taking in their surroundings to try and puzzle out Cleo’s intentions, glancing at Cleo’s face to determine where she was heading. 

Sensing her confusion, Cleo leaned down to murmur, “It's like you said Saira… there’s a certain appeal to witnessing their demise.” Realization dawned on Bellum as the two approached a staircase tucked away in the corner. At the top, she could make out a door blending into the wallpaper. 

“A balcony.” Bellum quietly laughed. “Cleo, you genius.”

This brought a small, but proud, smile to Cleo’s face. “Given his pitiful agility, we should still be able to catch him leaving if we hurry.”

Quickly climbing the stairs, their footsteps muffled by the carpet, they reached the door at the top. Cleo reached down and pulled aside part of her dress to reveal a number of different gadgets strapped to her legs. 

“I find that adequate preparation for these events often has numerous benefits,” she said slyly, unclasping a device and holding it up to the lock. It whirred for a couple seconds, followed by an audible click.

“What was it that you said?” Bellum asked, quirking an eyebrow at Cleo’s technology. It looked like enough equipment for several agents combined. “‘Anyone to take out a target,’ hm? You’re not the only one with a good memory Cleo.”

“You see Saira,” Cleo’s eyes shone. “We have all our agents, all the power, but not even a seat at the faculty table can beat the excitement of the field.” 

She pushed open the door, the early fall air hitting her skin. The two stepped out onto the balcony, the heels of their shoes echoing into the night as they made their way over to the railing. 

But before either of them had the chance to say anything, incoherent shouting came from below. Peeking over, Bellum saw Esvanir stumbling out of the entryway, yelling and gesturing wildly as the two women escorting him futilely tried to shush him, before shoving him into the waiting car and slamming the door. 

Cleo laughed, a bright and airy sound. “An Uber? The man truly has no class.” 

The countess watched the car as it drove away, before tilting her head back and closing her eyes, breathing in the brisk air. Her hands rested on the cool concrete railing and she listened: the quiet shuffle of Saira moving closer, the soft music filtering in from the open door, the hum of cars from the city before them. 

“It’s colder here,” Cleo said, breaking the silence. “Different from the island.”

Bellum just hummed in agreement. “What you said two weeks ago...” she started, pausing to look up at the glittering lights above. “I have always loved the stars. I must confess that I didn’t realize you noticed.”

“Oh Saira,” Cleo said, opening her eyes. “I take careful notice of the things that interest me.”

The countess turned around to face Bellum with a quiet smile, the warm glow of the chandelier light from the windows creating soft shadows across her face.  _ She’s radiant _ , Bellum thought, hardly believing that she’s the one privy to Cleo’s rare genuine smiles and kind eyes. 

“It’s time I give you this” Cleo said, pulling the watch out of the folds of her dress. She reached out expectantly and Bellum instinctively raised her hand.  The metal felt warm against Bellum’s wrist as Cleo slipped on the watch. But before Bellum could pull away, Cleo’s grip tightened. 

“Wait,” she said. “I haven’t finished.” With her other hand, she reached back into the pockets of her dress and pulled out two shiny cufflinks.

“Rockets,” Bellum inhaled. “Cleo-”

The countess looked down at their hands firmly and fastened on the cufflinks, not fully meeting Bellum’s eyes. “I thought … as a reminder of tonight.” 

Even though she had no reason to continue holding the other woman’s hand, Cleo found that she didn’t want to let go just yet. But Bellum decided for her, taking her hand and pressing a kiss to it.

“Saira?” Cleo asked, feeling her face warm. 

“I know attending these dreary social functions is your idea of a fun evening Countess. But this is one formality I’m always willing to partake in.”

Bellum’s face softened as she looked up. “I believe I owe you a dance”

She interlaced her fingers with Cleo’s and pulled her in until they were nearly chest to chest. The orchestral music from the ballroom could be heard on the balcony, the low whistle of the breeze whipping around, harmonizing with the sweet sound of the violins.

She rested her hand on the small of Cleo’s back and almost laughed at the reversal of their positions from earlier in the evening. Bellum could feel the other woman shaking just slightly beneath where her hand sat on Cleo’s back, though she couldn’t tell if it was from the cold or from her touch. She leaned in, just a little closer, and rested her head on the countess’s chest. They swayed quietly, alone on the balcony. For the first time that evening, the two women found that they could just  _ be _ . 

“I hope this distracted you from the Vermeers,” Bellum murmured. 

“Saira… don’t you know by now?” Cleo sounded flustered. Bellum could feel the quiet vibration of the countess’s voice as she spoke. “You’re so much more than just a distraction.”

“Oh,” Bellum said, processing her words. 

At this, Cleo stilled. Bellum pulled away slightly to properly look at the other woman and saw that Cleo looked vulnerable. More vulnerable than she had ever seen her. More vulnerable than even that night two weeks ago. But when Bellum reached up to take her face in her hands, she could feel all of Cleo’s doubts vanish. Bellum felt her heart in her chest, beating, pounding so loudly that she knew the other woman certainly heard it. 

“Wait-” Cleo interrupted. Bellum instantly began to move away, but Cleo clung onto the lapels of her coat, as though afraid that she would disappear before her eyes. 

“Your goggles,” Cleo tried. “I know you wear them for light sensitivity,” she whispered, reaching out. “But out here, can I…”

The other woman hesitated before nodding. Cleo gently lifted them and dropped the goggles on the concrete railing to the side. She gazed into Saira's eyes, golden and uniquely hers, before leaning in. As Cleo kissed her, Bellum realized that for the first time in a long time, she felt truly happy. 

“You know,” Bellum said, resting her forehead on Cleo’s when they finally broke apart. “This really is much better than a Vermeer.”

Cleo’s laugh echoed in the night and that was the last bit of talking either one of them did for the rest of the evening. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it! A huge thank you to everyone who has left comments on this story and followed it since I posted it. I appreciate your kind words more than you know. I'll be writing more cleobellum fics soon but in the meantime, feel free to reach out to me on tumblr @simpingsapphic and let me know what you thought of this one! If there are any errors that I didn't catch, please let me know as well.


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